UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 6, 2007



                           ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


          Delaware                     0-21696             22-3106987
(State or other jurisdiction         (Commission          (I.R.S. Employer
       of incorporation)             File Number)         Identification No.)


              26 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)


       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (617) 494-0400


                                 Not Applicable
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)


Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions:

|_|  Written  communications  pursuant to Rule 425 under the  Securities Act (17
     CFR 230.425)

|_|  Soliciting  material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
     240.14a-12)

|_|  Pre-commencement   communications  pursuant  to  Rule  14d-2(b)  under  the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

|_|  Pre-commencement   communications  pursuant  to  Rule  13e-4(c)  under  the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))









ITEM 5.02  Departure of Directors or Certain  Officers;  Election of  Directors;
Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

(e)    Chief Executive Officer Compensation

On March 6, 2007, upon recommendation of the Compensation Committee (the
"Committee") of the Board of Directors (the "Board") of ARIAD Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. (the "Company"), the Board approved compensation for the Company's
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Harvey J. Berger, M.D. Dr.
Berger's annual base salary was increased from $544,000 in the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2006 to $576,000 in the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007,
effective January 1, 2007. Also, Dr. Berger was awarded 64,000 shares of the
Company's common stock and options to purchase 240,000 shares of the Company's
common stock, both under the Company's 2006 Long Term Incentive Plan. The stock
options have a term of ten years, vest 25% annually over four years, and have an
exercise price of $4.64 per share, the closing price per share of the Company's
common stock on March 6, 2007.

ITEM 8.01 Other Events.

Board Compensation

On March 6, 2007, upon recommendation of the Committee, the Board, with Harvey
J. Berger, M.D. and Jay R. LaMarche abstaining, revised its director
compensation arrangements to provide additional compensation to the independent
and disinterested directors of the Board (the "Independent Directors") for their
service in connection with the evaluation of strategic alternatives with respect
to acquiring the 20% minority interest of the Company's subsidiary, ARIAD Gene
Therapeutics, Inc. ("AGTI"), that the Company does not currently own. The
Independent Directors consist of all of the directors other than Dr. Berger and
Mr. LaMarche, who own shares of the common stock of AGTI. The revised
compensation arrangements provide that each Independent Director will receive,
in addition to compensation received under the Company's existing director
compensation arrangements, a one-time cash payment of $10,000 on or about April
1, 2007. In addition, for each past and future meeting of the Independent
Directors related to their evaluation of the strategic alternatives regarding
AGTI, each such director will receive $1,000 for each such meeting attended in
person and $500 for each such meeting attended by phone; provided that the
aggregate of all fees paid (including the one-time fee) shall not exceed $25,000
per director.

                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                         ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

                         By:  /s/ Edward M. Fitzgerald
                              -----------------------------------------------
                              Edward M. Fitzgerald
                              Senior Vice President, Finance and Corporate
                              Operations, Chief Financial Officer

Date: March 8, 2007